


I Will Wait

by MusicalLuna



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-17 23:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12375945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalLuna/pseuds/MusicalLuna
Summary: Tony's brilliant brain is working hard at something, and Steve's not sure what.





	I Will Wait

**Author's Note:**

  * For [duotoned](https://archiveofourown.org/users/duotoned/gifts).
  * Translation into Русский available: [Я подожду](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12455624) by [faikit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/faikit/pseuds/faikit)



It only takes Steve thirty-five hours to realize something is happening.

Considering the unpredictability of their lives, that’s pretty good.

It starts like this.

~ * ~

Tony’s covered in a sheen of sweat, one leg still hooked around Steve’s thigh and he’s giggling into Steve’s chest. “Oh, god,” he pants, and lets his head fall back to the mattress, “we can do this forever, right?”

His eyes are dancing and he’s so unfetteredly happy it makes Steve’s heart tighten. God, he loves Tony  _so much._ “Absolutely,” he breathes, “forever.”

Tony looks up at him, one of his hands curled around the back of Steve’s neck; it squeezes. Tony himself is quiet, eyes roving over Steve’s face. “Forever,” he murmurs at last and his mouth curls into a tiny smile that feels like the sun on Steve’s skin. Steve gets the sense that he’s coming to a realization.

Whatever it is, Steve hopes it’s a good one.

Stroking the corner of Tony’s jaw with the tip of his thumb, he leans down and kisses him. “I love you,” he says softly.

“Yeah,” Tony says, running a hand through Steve’s sweat-damp hair, voice thoughtful. “You do.”

~ * ~

The next morning Steve goes out to the kitchen to find Tony cooking in nothing but his boxers. He’s cursing up a blue streak near the island, while bacon pops cheerfully on the stove.

“Didn’t anyone ever warn you not to cook bacon nude?” Steve says.

“Give me your shirt,” Tony demands imperiously and Steve can’t help but laugh. He peels off his tee and hands it over.

Once he’s donned it, Tony goes back to the bacon, poking at it with a spatula.

Steve yawns and scrubs at his hair. “’s there any coffee?”

“Is there any coffee,” Tony scoffs and points the spatula at the coffeemaker.

Steve ambles over and pours himself a cup, leaning into the counter because he’s still too groggy to want to properly support his own weight. He wraps his hands around the mug and holds it close so he can feel the steam on his face, curling around his cheeks like phantom fingers.

“So,” Tony says, overly casual, “marriage is a thing you’re interested in, right?”

Steve nods absently, realizing he’s forgotten the cream and sugar. He goes to shuffle things around in the fridge. “Sure I am.”

Tony hums.

Then he smacks Steve’s ass with the spatula. Steve catches his wrist before he can lunge out of reach and Tony lets out a peal of hyena laughter as Steve drags him back.

The bacon burns.

~ * ~

When Steve goes looking for him next, Tony’s not in any of the usual places.

Stumped, Steve consults JARVIS. “Hey, do you know where I can find Tony?”

“He is currently out of the Tower, Captain,” JARVIS replies. “Would you like me to call him for you?”

“No, that’s all right, thanks. Let me know when he gets back though, will you?”

“Of course, sir,” JARVIS says.

True to his word, six hours later, JARVIS reports, “Mister Stark has returned to the Tower, Captain, however, he has asked that he not be disturbed.”

Steve frowns. “Did he say why?”

JARVIS sounds a little bit amused when he says, “Mister Stark anticipated your confusion and left the following message:

_Hey, Cupcake, I’m making some plans and it would defeat the point if you were involved, promise I’m not compromising world security or anything like that, but since I am a weak man, incapable of keeping my mouth shut, I am gonna have to stay away from you for the good of the mission. Don’t find me, I’ll find you.”_

Steve can’t help the surge of disappointment he feels upon realizing that he’s not going to get to see Tony. It’s silly, they spend so much time together as it is, it should be enough, but it really, really isn’t. There’s always a part of him that wonders after Tony, that wants him around, always.

“Thanks, JARVIS,” he says. “Will you send a message back? Tell him I love him?”

“Certainly, Captain,” JARVIS agrees.

~ * ~

After that he dwells on Tony incessantly, brain racing at a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out what it is Tony’s planning. He’s distracted all afternoon and he’s sparring with Thor when it hits him.

“Tony’s going to propose,” he blurts. The right hook Thor throws catches him completely unawares and lays him out flat.

“I would have bridled my strength if I had known it would be more than just a glancing blow!” Thor exclaims later as he brings Steve an ice pack to lay against the fantastic bruise now forming a lump on Steve’s right cheek. He’s going to have a black eye in no time and it hurts to so much as open his mouth. He winces as he puts the pack to his cheek.

“It’s okay, Thor. I should have been paying more attention.”

“But a marriage proposal, this is exciting news,” Thor says, leaning into the counter. “You have wished for some time for this, have you not?”

“Yeah,” Steve says, sliding out of focus a little. Part of him can’t quite believe it, but all the clues add up. “I mean, I’m happy if Tony’s happy, but—”

“It is something you have dreamt of since you were a boy.”

“Yeah,” Steve repeats and wishes more than ever that he could go to Tony. But he has to let Tony do this in his own time, let him make it perfect. He wonders with a little thrill how Tony will go about it.

~ * ~

Over the next three days, Steve imagines it thousands of different ways—small and intimate proposals and grand public spectacles. In the Tower, in Malibu, at their favorite restaurant across town, in Central Park. The part he thinks about the hardest is the way the words will sound coming out of Tony’s mouth.

_Steve, will you marry me?_

He doesn’t care where or how it happens. All that matters is Tony.

And this is a big step for Tony—one Steve hadn’t actually expected him to take. Being in a relationship alone is something Tony doesn’t really seem to believe he’s capable of, so the fact that he’s willing to go all in and propose…

It means everything.

He’ll wait for as long as Tony needs him to, even if it kills him.

~ * ~

This is how it ends.

Tony shows up at the door to Steve’s bedroom, dressed immaculately in a suit and tie, an unfurling red rose in the breast pocket.

“Hi, Steve,” he says, his smile shy and his eyes alight with nerves.

Steve’s throat goes dry at the sight of him. “Tony,” he rasps. “I missed you.”

Tony rocks on his heels. “Yeah, sorry about that. So. Ready?”

Steve nods and takes Tony’s hand and lets him lead the way.

The restaurant they go to is small and intimate, lit by candlelight and little else. They eat dinner side by side in a booth, and play footsie, eating off of one another’s plates. Steve feels like he did when they first started dating, stomach skipping around inside him.

Tony’s hands are shaking when he brandishes the ring box and goes down on one knee. “Let’s get married,” he blurts and Steve can’t help the strangled laugh that bubbles out of him. “I mean,” Tony goes on hurriedly, “I love you. And, I think you’re pretty crazy about me—”

“Completely,” Steve says and Tony grins tremulously at him.

His hands shake so hard he can barely pluck the ring out of the box. He takes a deep breath and says, “Will you, Steven Rogers, marry me, ill-advised though that may mmff—”

“Yes,” Steve breathes into his mouth.


End file.
